Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Chapter 610 Waiting

Upon hearing the bandit mention Ji Bawa, Ji Manqing pretended to be so angry that he gritted his teeth and said, "You can take these two baskets of fruit, but hurry up and release my brother!"

Actually, everyone had almost forgotten that Ji Bawa was still in the hands of the bandits. Since the bandits brought it up, it was a good excuse to send the apples away.

The bandit who pulled out the tooth was overjoyed, carrying a basket of apples in each hand, and said, "Then I'll gladly accept them! As for your brother's men, you'll release them sooner or later, so you can rest assured!"

Seeing the bandits carrying apples and leaving with Ma Chenfang and the others, Ji Manqing continued to stomp his feet and curse behind them until he saw the bandits enter the fortress gate before he stopped.

"Fourth Uncle, let's go! Cursing is tiring too. Let's come back in a couple of days and deal with these bandits properly," Ji Yongling said with a gentle smile.

Ji Manqing wiped the white saliva from the corner of his mouth with the back of his rough hand and said, "Swearing is indeed hard work! It's been a long time since I've heard you swear, I haven't learned any new words, it's not satisfying!"

Huo Zhenglian then walked over and said, "You and your daughter have been working hard these past few days. Go back and get some rest for the night. Leave things here to us!"

Ji Yongling bowed and said, "This is all we should do, it's not hard work at all! Sir, these bandits have been burning the fire for several days now, and today they took some fruit to eat. I estimate that in less than five days, they will experience symptoms such as weakness, headache, and nausea. When that happens, it will be much easier for you to send men to attack the fortress."

Huo Zhenglian nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "You are indeed a meticulous girl. This plan seems simple, but it is brilliant. After all, who would think that burning a fire in the open could cause smoke poisoning? Now that they have no hostages, we don't need to worry about them resorting to desperate measures."

Ji Yongling smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, sir. Even if the bandits don't eat those fruits, the bandits who have been burned by the fire will definitely not survive, because the smoke poisoning will leave them without the strength to even breathe. We just need to wait a few more days."

Upon hearing this, Huo Zhenglian felt relieved and patted Ji Manchuan on the shoulder, saying, "Manchuan, you've raised a fine woman! If this band of bandits is wiped out, that girl Yongling will have done a great service."

Ji Manchuan rubbed his hands somewhat embarrassedly and said, "You flatter me, sir. We are all ordinary people of Ningping, so it is only right that we do our part! If we can really wipe out this gang of bandits without much effort, then it will be considered as eliminating a scourge for the people!"

Huo Zhenglian nodded: "That's right. This gang of bandits has been running rampant in the countryside for years, causing immense suffering to the people. If they are allowed to occupy this Bacunyuan for a long time, the people of Ningping will suffer even more in the future. You and your daughter have worked hard these past few days, so go back and rest. We'll take them down in one fell swoop when the bandits are poisoned!"

On the way back, everyone was in a good mood, but Lin Shengwen suddenly thought of something and exclaimed, "Oh dear, what if Ma Chenfang eats all those fruits by herself?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Manqing quickly chimed in, "That's right! Fruits at this time of year are precious. What if the people under the Ma family are reluctant to eat them and save them all for the Ma family?"

Ji Manchuan glared at Ji Manqing with disdain: "You know those guys are bandits! Bandits don't care about family ties. How can Ma Chenfang win over the hearts of her subordinates? Isn't it because she's willing to share all the good stuff with them?"

Ji Manqing suddenly realized and nodded, saying, "That makes sense, that makes sense! Then I'm relieved!"

"What are you worried about! You can rest assured when Ling'er is handling things!"

"Hehe, is that so! Third Brother, do you think if we get rid of these bandits, the county magistrate will hire an opera troupe to perform?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Why didn't you speak when your mouth was covered? Just ask Lord Huo directly!"

"Look at what you're saying! Who am I? How dare I ask you that?"

"Why can't you ask!"

……

As the sun sets, a faint red glow paints the sky.

The brothers Ji Manqing and Ji Manchuan chattered on and on, sometimes talking about this and sometimes arguing. Lin Shengwen and Ji Yongling walked behind, their shadows stretching long.

Lin Shengwen stole glances at Ji Yongling beside him several times, and saw that the afterglow of the setting sun shone on her face, dyeing her face red, making her angular profile look like undulating mountains.

After hesitating for a while, Lin Shengwen asked, "What if... I mean, what if... when we wipe out this band of bandits, someone escapes? Wouldn't it be dangerous for you to stay in Niujiazhuang afterward?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yongling turned to look at Lin Shengwen, nodded, and said, "Yes, that should be it. The bandits aren't stupid. If so many people show the same symptoms at the same time, they'll immediately think of poisoning. After careful elimination, they'll naturally think that the smoke from the fire and the apples they ate were the problem. Then they'll naturally think that I tampered with it, and it's not surprising that they retaliated against me afterwards."

“Then…it would be safer for you to leave Ningping County,” Lin Shengwen said, glancing cautiously at Ji Yongling.

Ji Yongling shook his head, gazing into the distant fields, and smiled, saying, "You can only be a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days? They are the ones who have done all the evil deeds, why should I leave? Don't worry, I will go to Bacunyuan with my father and the others in the next few days. I will keep watch at the entrance of Lijiabaozi and try my best not to let a single bandit escape!"

"Alright, I'll go with you. Together, we'll wipe out these bandits!"

Because the bandits were besieged by the government at Bacunyuan, the people gradually calmed down, and life began to return to normal. Of course, when they chatted each day, they would still ask each other, "I wonder how long the magistrate and his men will keep besieging Bacunyuan?" "I wonder how long those bandits' food will last?"

The next day, Ji Yongling, just like before, carried dry rations and a water gourd and followed Ji Manchuan and Ji Manqing to Bacunyuan.

For two consecutive days, the bandits in the fortress seemed to show no signs of anything amiss, continuing to take turns guarding the walls. However, Ji Yongling was not in a hurry; she had plenty of time to wait.

Three days later, Ji Yongling noticed upon arriving at Bacunyuan that the number of bandits on the walls of Lijiabao seemed significantly less than in the previous days. Huo Zhenglian also noticed this and ordered everyone to be alert, prepare battering rams and weapons, and be ready to attack the fortress at any time.